Open House - Softcover
Beirut in 1940 -- a carefree social whirl under the shadow of war, a city of torn allegiances, treason and love. After France's crushing defeat by the German army, the pro-German Vichy French control Lebanon and Syria, while Britain tightens her grip over Palestine and Iraq. Diplomats and politicians maneuver as spies and agents intrigue in the narrow and deadly streets.
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About the Author:
Nabil Saleh is a practicing lawyer in Beirut and London. He is the author of two novels The Qadi and the Fortune Teller and Outremer.
From Publishers Weekly:
In this fast-moving but thinly written spy thriller set in 1940s Beirut, everyone is a spy or the spouse of one; everyone keeps or divulges information to serve a personal, national or international cause. Germany's occupation of France has thrown French rule in Lebanon into question, and the Allies are incompatible. Indeed, the French themselves are internally divided between those who acquiesce to the Nazis, and the Free French, who refuse to accept surrender. Saleh (The Qadi and the Fortune-Teller), a lawyer in Beirut and London, skillfully paints the political configurations and intersecting aims in Lebanon of the French, Germans, Italians, British, Palestinians, the World Zionist Organization and various Lebanese officials, presenting a balanced account of their differences. An assortment of individuals, some of them Saleh's protagonists, represent these interests; unfortunately, many of their machinations are rendered somewhat laboriously. While Saleh doles out a balanced amount of political information, he overexplains the minutiae of personal interaction, generally in stilted dialogue. " `I know he was a spy, but I still have difficulty believing it,' the French officer hastened to say, with an overtone of apology for the skeptical impression he might have conveyed." Besides such strained justifications for emotional motives, the central love triangle between a French female espionage agent, a French officer and a Lebanese Red Cross volunteer is well wrought. The story is interesting, if not terribly exciting, and war novel fans will enjoy the unusual setting and fresh perspective on early Allied and Axis activity.
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
- PublisherQuartet Books Ltd
- Publication date2000
- ISBN 10 0704381451
- ISBN 13 9780704381452
- BindingPaperback
- Number of pages303
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Open House
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Quartet Books (UK)
(2001)
ISBN 10: 0704381451
ISBN 13: 9780704381452
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Book Description Paperback. Condition: Very Good. Open House This book is in very good condition and will be shipped within 24 hours of ordering. The cover may have some limited signs of wear but the pages are clean, intact and the spine remains undamaged. This book has clearly been well maintained and looked after thus far. Money back guarantee if you are not satisfied. See all our books here, order more than 1 book and get discounted shipping. Seller Inventory # 7719-9780704381452
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Book Description Paperback. Condition: Very Good. This book is in very good condition and will be shipped within 24 hours of ordering. The cover may have some limited signs of wear but the pages are clean, intact and the spine remains undamaged. This book has clearly been well maintained and looked after thus far. Money back guarantee if you are not satisfied. See all our books here, order more than 1 book and get discounted shipping. Seller Inventory # 6545-9780704381452
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